school lunchroom seating Archives - Carroll Seating Company

If you’re like many school districts these days, getting the most from the equipment you already have on hand is an absolute priority. The numbers just aren’t there to continually buy new equipment, and students today are anything but gentle with what you already have. Nowhere is this more true than in the cafeteria, but is there anything you can really do to extend the life of your tables and chairs? Absolutely.

Proper Adjustments: One of the single most important things you can do to get the most out of both your tables and chairs is to make certain they’re properly adjusted. While most are well adjusted when you initially order them, over time, movement, cleaning, and misuse can often put them at risk. If they continue to be loose, wobbly, or a poor fit, you will start to notice deterioration, and that can only lead to replacement in the long run. Make certain your maintenance staff knows how to perform the right adjustments to your tables and chairs, and if they don’t, contact the professionals for help.

Cleaning Procedures: Not every surface can be cleaned using the same chemicals. Some surfaces demand the gentle touch of soap and water, while others can take a much rougher scrubbing. Know exactly what can and cannot be used before you start wiping down the tables after lunch. You’ll save the surface of the table as well as quite a bit of money in the long run.

Immediate Repairs: If something is wrong with a table or chair, make certain your maintenance staff addresses it immediately. Having students sitting in the chair or at the table will not only cause further problems, it could also be a safety issue. If you’re not sure how to address a repair, bring in a technician who can help.

Whether you need new cafeteria tables and chairs or you require repair services, Carroll Seating is here to help with the services you need most. Contact us today to learn more.

School cafeterias are unique places these days. You have to ensure a solid traffic flow so students can get through the serving area in time to eat, but you also want to make it an inviting place for every student. The standard industrial look just doesn’t do it these days. Our work with Plaza Middle School was an excellent proving ground for us. After all, there are no tougher critics than twelve and thirteen year old kids.

What We Did
We were asked to come in and provide every inch of the design work. For us, this meant creating a cafeteria seating layout that worked for students and staff, coordinating existing food service equipment into a layout that breathed efficiency, and looking at things from a “that’s cool” standpoint so students would really love the new lunchroom.

On that front, we created a custom laminated focal wall behind the service line itself, came up with an amazing railing system for the kids to line up at, developed custom logo graphic tables, and added durable custom artwork pieces throughout. The crowning jewel, though, was the eye catching school logo’s Tiger Eyes soffit that is actually backlit to make the eyes pop out at students.

The Results
Students and staff alike love the new space. It’s an environment students actually want to be a part of. We managed to combine their mascot and important themes to the school to help amp up student pride a bit, and because we used school colors throughout, it helped to personalize the space.

The lunch hour is one of the only times each day students can easily interact with friends, and that’s an essential life skill too, so we created intimate small group sections and booth seating for students to help invite students in. The booths and clustered seating area give it that fast-food feel students are so accustomed to, and we managed to meet all of the ADA seating guidelines in the process of our design work.

Middle school kids are tough critics, so we were nothing short of surprised at all of the positive feedback we got with this project. Now if our own kids would only think we were that cool.